Powered bicycle



p l 9 5 T, G. HARE 2,397,858

POWERED BICYCLE Original Filed March 25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l INV OR. fire/70c 61 F6 April 2, 1946. T. G. HARE 2,397,858

POWERED BICYCLE I Original Filed March 25, 1945 2 Sheets-Shet 2 INVE OR. 337/706 61' We Patented Apr. 2, 1946 PATENT CE 2,39.7,8 58 POWERED BIGYCLE llterence. .G. "lHare, ZS-aginavv, "EM-ion .-..as'signor- .to g Ame'sbury SeatManufacturing Company, acorporati'on ofMichigan .--riginal application. M

arch 2225,.11943; Serial No.

-..This invention relatesto aeself propelledtvehicle the nature offa-poweredbicycle. ...The..genera1. objectof thee-invention istto provide an improved w economical means .of :transportatiomwhic'h can-be obtained. at a lowcostand -whi'ch I. issextremely economical --from- .--the. stand .point of consumptionoffueland rubber. In conmentions-with this; general aim, improvements are .madein-a mechanism whichcomprises whatmay .be' termed abicycle vframerand apower unit. l-The arrangement 'ofthev powerunit and its sub-frame vis such thatiitimayebe easily attached totany bicycle," although "the. complete articlednclu'dine Ithe bicycle [frame and the powernunit. may -be 1 supplied and soldas. such.

Among Lthe improvements his an improved clutching. arrangement. Where-by..- different speed 1 and torque .ratios 'can' be. hadbetween the. power .unit and .the. driving .wheel without theemialoymeritv of speed lchange gears. The ltransmission -..cflthe. powerY in any .of thespeed and torqueratios Lis direct". from "the. engine .-..to the driving, Wheel. 'Anotherimprovement lieslinfl'the arrangementbf the subi-iframe ofthe powerrunit.sdthatLitcafi'be quickly and easily attached no-.aLibicyble .frame and Still. another improvementilies 'in a. control means used by the person'operating' the vehicle. "This application" is aidivision GfappIicatiQnTSeirial L NO. 4801440, 'ffile'd' Malich' 25; Z1943 ,lnoW'fZPat jNo."2379,901 of'Ju1y'I0f1945.

The accompanying drawings showrmeans'for carrying out the'invention.

Fig; 1 is aside elevational view or the complete ,unitembodying a bicyclelframe and apower-unit.

.JFig. 2 .is" an enlarged .view showin themanner of attachment offthe powerunit frame Ltoithe bicycletrame. l

Fig. .3 isan enlarged cross-section taken on line3 3iof Fig'. 2.

"Fig; .4 is an enlargedI'detail viewof afpedal control.

Fig. 5 is a detail view largely in section asshowing. the power transmitting .means forfietive different speedjan'jd torquetratios.

.JEIg. 6 ,is an enlarged view. 'pait1y ipianjan'd' taken ,ysubstanti'ai ly on 1ineif66 -ofjfi ii LFig. '7' is' a *viewjpartlyfin' cross-section;'showing a 'diflerent formflof, control.

""Fig..18 is'adiagrammatic'viewlshowingipart of I "'thefirlvingmechanism.

A1bicyc1eiframe1s generally indicated at 1 I in Fl'gi'jl and itjhas' the wellknownlelement's, includ- ;ing a seat; j handle bars,"jf1:ont wheel eandifo'rk *therefore'fallof:whichf needjnohetailedifdescrip- .tork -formingframe :-.:parts 2 with the projecting clviseszii which-in .thecustomarymanner-usually .receivestherear wheelof-the bicycle. The man- -ually operatedpedals: ofethe: bicycle :are removed 5 but they are-usually mounted inzt'he bearing opening-loofathe frame. t-The power unit is connected totheaframebyefirst removing the. rear. wheel. -Thi e power unit has its own .f-rame whichi-may beeter-meda. sub-frame as shown atfihaving- :side 10 plates 1 (Fig..5). 'A. driving wheelflis journaled in the -.sub+frame; -whi1ean engine .of the internal combustion type, such-as a: gasoline engine-- mounted on the :sidehlatesfl;v This engineds-gen- '.-era1-1y. illustrated in "dotted li-neswas shown: at --,5, 15.and--it:may betencased' in :a housing generally tshown at .10. .The-car-buretor oithe engineisdl- .lustr'ated --at ll eandeits crank-shaft at .12. .A -starter-crankis shownvat 4-3, and a fuelr-tanki at 114. protection -bar' 5 maytextend doWn-. each -r-side ofntherpower. unit. and over 'the top. of the -.:-eng-ine-iand isecuned to :the :bottom of, the sub- -.frame substantially at rl6.=tO.-.pr0tectany10f the :parts from striking thegroundin case-thevehicle :is dropped onf-alls-over on itsside.

.iMou-nted, :on the crank shaft of the engine are two pulleys preferably designed to take. belts. lhesatwopulleys-.-,are of-t-difierent size as.of 2D :andull. These two:-belts operate two driving e-clutch pulleys 22 and-23as-shown in Figs Sand 8. 1The-lbe1t1-connecting the pulleys .ZU and --22-is esho-wn -at 2.4, and lthesbelt connecting thev pulleys t2! and 2434s lshowntatii. ..'Ihe:dri-ving-=wheel*8 istdr iven by anchor the other of: these pulley :and belt combinationsadvantageously by means of a-chain 26- operating over a sprocket .28 attached etc the: driving :wheel and aisprocket -29 driven by ..either=thegpulleylLorilee-pulley 23- asselected.

.The-zsubeframe-is attached. tothe. bicycle frame 4 as shown inFig. 2. rThe-sub-frame is securedto ethe'a-clevisesafl as a by: :means of: a bolt -30, while-a @stabilizingtension member 3 I is pivotally secured to ethessub-hframe' as eat 3 lacand a to the wbicycle gira-me. .Aibracket-AZ imay {be clampedtlto the tbars tbyaclamp piate--.-3;3, (Figs. 2-2 and *3) and. the

'=-stabilizingtmember 3 his attached zto the bracket a t-showneatt i. tilt will beobserve'd that bracket *Rmayebe attached-to theyframebarsfl in one of Y several-positions.lengthwiseot :the bars 2nsort hat rthQPOWel' unit canabeimountedz upon various sized .-bicyc1 e frames. .Ingotherwords, a bicycleirame largerlthan. the one shown may -have bars 2 which are:- longer. kthan those indicated. in Which event, athetbixacketflgmay be :clampedto the barsatthe -correetjg'di'stanceifrom ithelholt .ap. -';[he weight of the bicycle frame and the weight of the rider member tive rotation.

tends to break the joint 30 downwardly, since the wheel 28 is rearward of this position, but the stabilizing member 3| is placed under tension and 22 and 23. The pulley 22 is freely journalled on size pulleys 20 and 2| on the engine shaft. When the driven disc is in engagement with driving shaft 22 the pulley 23 freelyidles; Thus relatively low and relatively high speed and torque ratios can be effected by simply shifting the driven clutch disc. The bearings for the two driving pulleys may be of any suitable type. Also mounted on the shaft 40 is a brake drum 68.

A modified form of control is shown in Fig. 7. In this form a member 10 having an internal screw-thread is carried b the bracket 60 and a the shaft by a suitable bearing 43, and pulley 23 is freely journalled on the shaft by a bearing 44. A clutch driven disc 45 has clutch facings 46 on opposite sides thereof, and is positioned between the driving pulleys. The driving pul- The hub of the driven disc may comprise two matching hub pieces 41 suitably keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 40. The shaft 4!] has elongated slots 48 through which passes a control piece 49 which is tightly engaged between the hub elements 41 and which is slidable lengthwise of the shaft 49 in the slots. This control piece 49 may provide the driving connection between the driven disc and the shaft, although the hub element 47 may be splined to the shaft so that it can shift lengthwise of the shaft.

The control for obtaining different speed and torque ratios is by shifting the driven disc lengthwise of the shaft 4|] to bring it into frictional en gagement with one or the other of the driving pulleys. A coil spring 50 is disposed within the hollow shaft and it is backed by plug'reaction The spring exerts its force on the member (19, advantageously through an engaging piece 52. Another engaging piece 53 is positioned on the opposite side of the control piece 49 and the action is controlled by'a shiftable control rod 54' reciprocally mounted in the shaft in one or more bearings as shown at 55. Preferably a ball 56 is disposed between the piece 53 and the rod 54 totake the thrust and to provide for rela To control the clutch, a bracket 60 is secured to the frame plate 1 and it carries a cam' BI l "mounted on a shaft 62 having an operating arm 53.'This cam operates on the end of the rod 54 'preferabl'ythrough the means of a flexible plate.

64 which takes side thrusts of the .cam off the rod. The cam hasa face 65 for neutral position, a face fisfor high'ratio position and it may have just a curved surface '61 for low ratio position.

Considering Figs. 5 and 6, it will be noted that the driven disc 45 is more or less centralized between the two driving pulleys but not engaged with either. The spring 50 is urging the driven disc toward. engagement with the face 65 of the cam. If the'cam be turned to position the face 66 adjacent the end of the rod 54, th spring 59 then urges th drivendisc 45 into driving engagement with the pulle 23. If the cam be rotated to bring the surface 6! opposite the end of the rod '54, the'rod 54 is shifted'to the left against the spring, and the driven disc moves. into frictional driving engagement with the driv- Whenthe parts are in neutral ing pulley 22. position, the engine and both driving pulleys operate freely. When the driven disc is engaged with the driving pulley 23, the pulley 22 idles freely on its bearing, at a difierent speed, of course,than the pulley 23 because of the different 'leys having friction faces, as shown, for engaging the corresponding faces on the driven discs;

cooperating member H with an external screw thread is mounted therein and provided with an i operating arm 12. .Within the member H is a "ball 13which permits rotation of the shaft 54 as 54 to be shifted to the left against the spring or permits the shaft 54 to shift to the right under the action of the spring. The member 10 may carry a suitable spring pressed detent for cooperating in notches in the member 12 to hold the adjustments in high, low or neutral positions.

A suitable throttle is shown at BlLfThere are two other controls which may be governed by the two feet of the operator. One is for shifting the cam 6! or screw H for obtaining high and low ratios, and the other is for applying the brake. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, a bracket illmay be mounted to the frame in the journal 4 and this carries a control pedal 83 pivoted as at 84. To

the rear of the control pedal isia foot rest and stop 85. An arm 86 connected to the pedal 83 is connected by a rod.88 to the control member 63. When the pedal 83 is freeof pressure it takes an angular position substantially as shown, and the surface 660i the cam permits the spring to shift the clutch driven disc 43 into engagement with the highratio pulley 23 When the pedal is shifting clockwise the surface pushes the rod 54 to in turn shift the driven clutch disc to neutralposition; upon further clockwise shift of the pedal 83, the surface 61 comes into play and the driven disc is engaged with the low ratio pulley. This position is; preferably maintained by the pressure of the operators foot. Thus in start ing the vehicle or in going up an incline the pressure is applied to the pedal to effect the low ratio condition. Upon release of the pedal, the parts assume the high ratio position by the action of the spring 50., A similar pedal arrangement is 7 by applying pressure'of one foot and the brake I may be app d foot. y

. I claim:

by applying pressure of the other 1. A powered bicycle comprising aframe hav- 7 ing clevises for attachment of a wheel axle, a power unit sub-assembly havin a sub-frame with an engine mounted thereon and a traction wheel adapted to be driven by the engine; means attaching the sub-frame to said clevises with the sub-frame extending downwardly therefrom, a

, tension member connected to the sub-frame at a point adjacent the lower portion of the sub-frame and substantially under the clevises, and means adjustably connecting the tension member to the bicycle frame in a plane approximating the horizontal plane of the clevises, whereby to provide a three-point connection between the bicycle frame and the sub-assembly.

2. A powered bicycle comprising a frame having clevises for attachment of a wheel axle, a power unit sub-assembly having a sub-frame with an engine mounted thereon and a traction wheel adapted to be driven by the engine, means attaching the upper forward edge of the sub-frame to the clevises with said sub-frame extending downwardly therefrom, a tension member, means attaching the tension member to the forward lower portion of the sub-frame, said tension member extending forwardly and inclined upwardly from the sub-frame, and means connecting the forward end of the tension member to the bicycle frame, whereby a three-point triangle forming attach- -ment between the bicycle frame and sub-frame is provided.

3. A powered bicycle comprisin a frame having clevises for attachment of a wheel axle, a

power unit sub-assembly having a sub-frame with an engine mounted thereon and a traction wheel adapted to be driven by the engine, means pivotally attaching the upper forward edge of the subframe to the clevises with said sub-frame extending downwardly therefrom, a tension member, means pivotally attaching the tension member to the forward lower portion of the sub-frame, said tension member extending forwardly and inclined upwardly from the sub-frame, a bracket, means for attaching the bracket to the bicycle frame at one of various adjustable positions depending upon the relative length of the tension member and dimensions of the bicycle frame, and means providing a pivotal connection between the forward end of the tension member of said bracket, whereby to provide a three-point triangle forming connection between the bicycle frame and the sub-frame of the power unit.

TERENCE G. HARE. 

